Fuzzy navel: Not heavy on the alcohol, it consists of peach schnapps, orange juice and lemonade.

Gin and tonic: This traditional request combines gin, tonic water and a lime wedge.

Jack and Coke: Another classic choice, usually one ounce of Jack Daniels whiskey in a glass of cola.

He has trained bartenders in the area since 1984.

Excellent service is as important to Belden as the proper taste and presentation of a cocktail. A welcoming smile and engaging personality for a bartender are keys to building a following, one reason a customer might return to an establishment well past New Year's Eve.

"You have to be a better listener than talker. That's why we have two ears and one mouth," he said. "This job is not for people who don't like people."

Belden, 68, speaks from decades of experience, dating back to college.

In his eyes, a top-shelf bartender must be part psychologist and part psychic, instinctively knowing when to step in or out of a conversation, often picking up on the body language of customers as they walk in the door.

"You treat people the way they want to be treated, not the way you want to be treated. It has nothing to do with the Golden Rule," Belden said at his hospitality training/bartending school at the South Trails Shopping Center on Granada Boulevard.

Otherwise, Belden said a customer might choose to pour a drink at home for a lot less money.

"I teach from an owner's perspective," he said. "I want my students to be successful and the places to be happy."

Realism is a critical element of the school.

A Rolling Stones song wafts through the small storefront school, and bottles of labeled liquor and liqueurs filled with colored water are stacked behind two teaching bars.

Students pay $998 for the hands-on course that can run from as little as three weeks to "until they're happily employed."

"I tended bar all through college at Florida Southern and law school at the University of Missouri. "But I decided I didn't want to be a lawyer," Belden said. "I couldn't see getting up every morning, putting a noose (tie) around my neck and fighting people all day."

And at day's end, he saw many of those veteran attorneys holding court at a local tavern. That wasn't the life he wanted, figuring his personality was better suited for the other side of the bar.

So he went into the hospitality trade, initially managing resorts in Hawaii and Australia for six years, and ultimately ended up owning a Daytona Beach restaurant, Marker 32.

"I initially opened the school to train bartenders for the restaurant. Then I sold off the restaurant and kept the school," he said. "The bar business is about as recession proof as possible. People are either celebrating or commiserating."

Even the smallest details of the trade, such as cutting a lemon or skewering olives, are taught. Simply dropping an olive in a drink reveals a lack of training to Belden.

"It sinks to the bottom of the glass and, if a customer wants the olive, and they always do, they have to stick their fingers in the drink to get it," he told two of his students, Joe and Joni Bartley, a brother and sister from Daytona Beach.

Joni, 21, soon will be attending a culinary school in Orlando and figured bartending had some short-term and long-range benefits.

"I want to be a chef. It's a good skill to know," she said. "And bartending can help get me through school."

Joe, 20, is headed to Southeastern University in Lakeland next month and one day wants to own a restaurant.

"This helps a lot," he said of learning the proper way to run a bar.

But Belden said the job these days demands more responsibility, knowing when to cut a customer off, because a bartender and restaurant/club can be held culpable.

"There's more awareness now. The laws are more restrictive," Belden said. "That's part of my role (as a teacher) that I enjoy. The industry needs to be cleaned up and improved. There's a lot of bad service out there."

The reasons students attend his school are as diverse as the drinks they learn to make. Some folks have lost jobs or retired. Others are simply looking for a career change, seeking some fun and adventure in their lives.

Adam Phillips, 27, of Edgewater is in the third week of training.

"The motivation for me realistically was the money, and to have a lot of fun," Phillips said for attending the school.

Belden calls bartending a "sales job" without the hassles

"You don't have to knock on doors to make a sale. The customers come to you," he said. "And you get an immediate commission in a tip."

Belden said he still bartends from time-to-time, and he's catering about four private parties New year's Eve, down from about 40 just a few years ago because of the bad economy.

As with fashion, popular drinks come and go. This New Year's Eve, requests for a Blue Lady or Swimming Pool 2014 could become as passe as Schlitz beer by next Dec. 31. But the standards like a martini or Manhattan never die.

"The Old Fashioned was popular in the '50s through '70s, and then fell out of favor," Belden said. "Now it's coming back with young people."

And like the martini, the time-tested ingredients that make a good bartender begin with the basics.

"Some people just don't know how to smile. And I can't teach that," Belden said. "They have to bring it with them from home."

<p>ORMOND BEACH &mdash; Chances are that if you're ringing in the New Year at a local club Monday night, the man or woman behind the bar mixing your favorite drink was taught by Hank Belden. </p><p>He has trained bartenders in the area since 1984. </p><p>Excellent service is as important to Belden as the proper taste and presentation of a cocktail. A welcoming smile and engaging personality for a bartender are keys to building a following, one reason a customer might return to an establishment well past New Year's Eve. </p><p>"You have to be a better listener than talker. That's why we have two ears and one mouth," he said. "This job is not for people who don't like people." </p><p>Belden, 68, speaks from decades of experience, dating back to college. </p><p>In his eyes, a top-shelf bartender must be part psychologist and part psychic, instinctively knowing when to step in or out of a conversation, often picking up on the body language of customers as they walk in the door. </p><p>"You treat people the way they want to be treated, not the way you want to be treated. It has nothing to do with the Golden Rule," Belden said at his hospitality training/bartending school at the South Trails Shopping Center on Granada Boulevard. </p><p>Otherwise, Belden said a customer might choose to pour a drink at home for a lot less money. </p><p>"I teach from an owner's perspective," he said. "I want my students to be successful and the places to be happy." </p><p>Realism is a critical element of the school. </p><p>A Rolling Stones song wafts through the small storefront school, and bottles of labeled liquor and liqueurs filled with colored water are stacked behind two teaching bars. </p><p>Students pay $998 for the hands-on course that can run from as little as three weeks to "until they're happily employed." </p><p>"I tended bar all through college at Florida Southern and law school at the University of Missouri. "But I decided I didn't want to be a lawyer," Belden said. "I couldn't see getting up every morning, putting a noose (tie) around my neck and fighting people all day." </p><p>And at day's end, he saw many of those veteran attorneys holding court at a local tavern. That wasn't the life he wanted, figuring his personality was better suited for the other side of the bar. </p><p>So he went into the hospitality trade, initially managing resorts in Hawaii and Australia for six years, and ultimately ended up owning a Daytona Beach restaurant, Marker 32. </p><p>"I initially opened the school to train bartenders for the restaurant. Then I sold off the restaurant and kept the school," he said. "The bar business is about as recession proof as possible. People are either celebrating or commiserating." </p><p>Even the smallest details of the trade, such as cutting a lemon or skewering olives, are taught. Simply dropping an olive in a drink reveals a lack of training to Belden. </p><p>"It sinks to the bottom of the glass and, if a customer wants the olive, and they always do, they have to stick their fingers in the drink to get it," he told two of his students, Joe and Joni Bartley, a brother and sister from Daytona Beach. </p><p>Joni, 21, soon will be attending a culinary school in Orlando and figured bartending had some short-term and long-range benefits. </p><p>"I want to be a chef. It's a good skill to know," she said. "And bartending can help get me through school." </p><p>Joe, 20, is headed to Southeastern University in Lakeland next month and one day wants to own a restaurant. </p><p>"This helps a lot," he said of learning the proper way to run a bar. </p><p>But Belden said the job these days demands more responsibility, knowing when to cut a customer off, because a bartender and restaurant/club can be held culpable. </p><p>"There's more awareness now. The laws are more restrictive," Belden said. "That's part of my role (as a teacher) that I enjoy. The industry needs to be cleaned up and improved. There's a lot of bad service out there." </p><p>The reasons students attend his school are as diverse as the drinks they learn to make. Some folks have lost jobs or retired. Others are simply looking for a career change, seeking some fun and adventure in their lives. </p><p>Adam Phillips, 27, of Edgewater is in the third week of training. </p><p>"The motivation for me realistically was the money, and to have a lot of fun," Phillips said for attending the school. </p><p>Belden calls bartending a "sales job" without the hassles </p><p>"You don't have to knock on doors to make a sale. The customers come to you," he said. "And you get an immediate commission in a tip." </p><p>Belden said he still bartends from time-to-time, and he's catering about four private parties New year's Eve, down from about 40 just a few years ago because of the bad economy. </p><p>As with fashion, popular drinks come and go. This New Year's Eve, requests for a Blue Lady or Swimming Pool 2014 could become as passe as Schlitz beer by next Dec. 31. But the standards like a martini or Manhattan never die. </p><p>"The Old Fashioned was popular in the '50s through '70s, and then fell out of favor," Belden said. "Now it's coming back with young people." </p><p>And like the martini, the time-tested ingredients that make a good bartender begin with the basics. </p><p>"Some people just don't know how to smile. And I can't teach that," Belden said. "They have to bring it with them from home."</p>